Recording from a Mono Microphone or Tape Recorder

[solarblast]

I don't seem to be getting very far with either above the devices mentioned in the subject line. Both devices are mono. I plug the mono mic into the red (mic) connector on my sound record, and use the simple Win XP (Start-Acc->Sound Rcd) menu to get the Sound Rcder. That's supposed to give up to a 60- sec of recording, but I see no sound on the graph. I have a RShk Optimus cassette recorder with a mic input and earphone output. If I use a monoaural cable, I get nothing from the software recorder--no graph. In the case of the recorder, I go from earphone to mic (computer).

I'm fairly confident that I have the mixer software is set up properly. Mute buttons are not active. I use the output (volume) mixer with mic turned on.

I take it the mic connector on the computer is mono, and not stereo?

If I try to do this within Vegas, it produces no sound output to a track.

Comments?

[offline]

moving you to computer

[solarblast]

Sounds like computer doesn't it? It's really just a preliminary start to get the audio track into Vegas. We'll see how it works here. However, I think I'll also go to a MS newsgroup where such material is a likely to be a relevant topic.

[offline]

Yes it does.

Some obvious steps you may have already tried...

Check the settings for the volume control panel. If you have a speaker icon in your notification area, just right click on it and select Volume Control Panel. Otherwise you can access it in the Control Panel.

Also, under options, and then "Advanced Properties", make sure the mixer device is the correct one listed. Also check the radial "Adjust Volume for Recording" and then check the list below to see that "Microphone" has been checked. If not, do so and then go back to the volume control (Now shown as a smaller "Recording Control" panel) and check settings.

Check your main-boards website for latest audio drivers and install those. In addition, some 3rd-party software can override your sound settings and put them into "surround sound" mode - disabling the microphone and turning it into (I believe) the sub-woofer output. Check for this. You can reset by: Disable all audio under device manager/Reboot/Remove audio drivers/Reboot/Auto detect audio drivers.

I take it the mic connector on the computer is mono, and not stereo?

On most systems - I'd say yes.

[solarblast]

I take it that "under options" that you mean something like go to Control Panel, click on Sounds * Audio devices, and select Audio tab. Now look at volume for sound recording (icon is a microphone). If so, then it all looks correct.

Don't see "Advanced Properties", but the Properties for Recording Control show microphone (under options) as checked with volume control slider at top.

[solarblast]

I called ASUS (motherboard) mfger, and they said to use the Advanced item under Options on the volume control. Unfortunately, that 's greyed out. Advanced has two check boxes one of which is boost, supposedly. I tried to find the word boost in the Win XP help, and it found nothing. Anyone know how to get Advanced operational?

Is it possible that when I boot up that I need to have the mic plugged in, so that it is recognized?

[offline]

Have you tried plugging the mic into the line-in input instead?

[solarblast]

Tried in a few minutes ago. Nothing. Zippo. Maybe I need a PC mic. I saw one in RShk the other day. Sounds never seems easy.

[SingSing]

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Jack_plug.png

If you plug a mono plug into a stereo jack, you will only get sound on the left hand side, becaus the right channel is grounded.

The result you got, is most likley not a mono/stereo issue, but a no sound issue from motherboard/driver/application. You can confirm this by pluging a CD player into you line input, and still don't get any sound.

[solarblast]

I hooked up my portable CD player to line-in, and nothing is coming out. I'm using a stereo cable. A short while ago I hooked the CD player directly to a pair of speakers and it played properly.

Yesterday, I installed the latest A7S333 ASUS audio drivers. At least I think I did, I opened the inf file with the install option, and away it went. I hope that's the accepted install method.

I bought a RShk PC microphone an hour ago, and went through this without getting any sound. The mic comes with the option of using batteries, AA, or not. I tried it both ways with mic in and line -in.

My other mic is mono, and I've hooked it up with a mono cable. Nothing from it either.

I have a W2K machine, but it's MB has a more complicated audio set up, and I got nowhere with it.

Yes, something is screwy with the MB or the drivers. Well, once again I'll call ASUS and see if they can help. They have long queues. I got in a brief call to them yesterday, and the guy said it was solvable by using the Advanced menu item on Volume options. Mine seems to be permantely greyed out with a little grey check next to it.

Back to RShk to return the mic.

[SingSing]

1. I hooked up my portable CD player to line-in, and nothing is coming out. I'm using a stereo cable.

2. I have a W2K machine, but it's MB has a more complicated audio set up, and I got nowhere with it.

1. This is your problem.

2. If you have win2k, then you need to install win2k driver.

[solarblast]

1. I believe I should have gotten at least one channel off the stereo connection if it was working at all. I just used a mono cable minutes ago. Nothing coming out.

2. The use of W2k for the microphone involved about 10 minutes with the mic just to see if all was well there, and I quickly gave up on it because the audio board is much too complicated--six input/output plugs. The problem of concern is on the XP machine.
XP is the platform I want this all to work on.

Well, ASUS answered and told me they will try to get back to me in the next 90 minutes or 24 hrs.

[SingSing]

Shows us a picture or diagram of your audio i/o connectors.

[solarblast]

How do I attach or post pictures? Do you want images of the software menus I use (for volume)? Do you want an image of the three sockets on the back of the computer for the audio? Do you want images of the cables and microphone?

[SingSing]

PC normally has three sockets for audio, mic in, line in and headphone out. Yours is different. So far, can your hear windows sound, or CD audio from your PC ?

When in postreply, browse to the image file and upload, using this :


You can scan, cam your manual, jacks, or put the section on page, and press alt and print screen, then paste into graphics editor, and save to a jpeg file.

[solarblast]

Yes, I have no trouble hearing sound from a CD, RadioShark, or from the internet. I have exactly 3 sockets: red, green, blue.

I believe this whole issue gets down to why can't I see the Advanced Control choice under Options for the Volume dialog. I was in contact with ASUS (my MB mfger) this morning, and the techie was puzzled by it being greyed out. I asked if reinstalling the drive would be useful. As he was about to answer, the phone went dead. Since he failed to take down my phone #, I dropped way back in their phone queue. Maybe I'll get a call from ASUS anyway. I called them yesterday and was in a long queue. Someone there finally took my phone #, and said they'd call back in 24 hours. Before photographing eqpt or capturing screens, I think I'll wait about six hours and see what happens with ASUS.

On the driver issue, I see From the Device Mgr, I see the Sound, vidoe and game contr driver list. CMI8738/C3DX PCI audio is a choice. I think I have a builtin audio device, so I'm not quite sure about what "PCI" is all about. I did attempt to install the CMI drvr awhile ago. I had downloaded it over the weekend. When I pointed the drvr install selection to the drv folder containing the unzipped material, it said it couldn't find whatever it was lookng for. I then just let it install whatever it could find anywhere. It did, and "Advanced Ctrl" is still greyed out. C'ess la vie.

[solarblast]

Well, capturing a few dialogs was easy enough, so here's a sample. I see my image post problem. I was in quick reply. Here goes. Let's see if all four files make it.

[solarblast]

Hmmm, one file limit? OK, here's a second one.

[solarblast]

And a third.

[solarblast]

Number 4. The last.

[SingSing]

Based on your post, you selected microphone as your input but you did not turn it on. It did not look grey out on your picture. It should be checked like this :

[solarblast]

Yes, I forgot to make the selection there, but still no bananas when I do. See attached. Note the absence of the "Advanced" button.

How did you get two images into one message? I tried a cursor multiple selection and that wouldn't work.

My mic is a 10-12 year old Sony from an old 7" Sony tape recorder. It does work when I plug it into my RShk portable tape recorder.

[SingSing]

Plug your CD player with very low volume into the microphone jack. Turn on sound recorder with its red record button, and look for the wave.

If this still don't have sound, then you may have a broken board.

Note : I used microsoft photo editor, and paste new image to combine images.

[solarblast]

If I plug in either the CD player or the RShk tape recorder to line-in, I get a small wave that is just noise. The amplitude hardly varies. If I remove the devices from line-in, I get the same tiny noisy wave.

I have selected line-in on the rcrd control. My guess is that it's the driver, possibly the h/w, and even possibly the fact that I have Radio Replay and RadioShark on my machine. I'd bet on the s/w are the moment. No word from ASUS.

[offline]

So, just to confirm, this menu option is greyed out...right?

[solarblast]

Only the Advanced Ctrl item, but not the Properties item.

I just talked to ASUS. They said buy an audio card. Well, maybe.

I do have an alternative, Radio Pogo. It's a device that is like TIVO for radio. The faintly amusing part of this is that when I tried to record using the CD, it produced a file which appears not to have any audio. Well, Pogo is a tricky little device at times, so I need to read the manual. Later ...

[solarblast]

Well, I have my Pogo radio and recording device working, so that now allows me to at least a way to use a microphone and tape recorder to get material into Vegas. I'll revisit the computer sound problem another time. Thanks to all who participated above.

[ahhaa]

just a late tip- download Audacity or Goldwave if you are going to do serious video sound. The MS recorder isn't a patch on them.

Also- not sure about this, but that C-Media wave device- what other options are shown there? If your mic is working and you can play a CD from the internal drive, there's a good chance the input connectors on the mobo are kaput. My setup uses an old Technics RS-811 cassette tape deck- its line out matches my computers line in perfectly, I've got mic & line inputs on it, cuing and source headphones- all for $10 at a resale shop!:]